Supreme Court Secretariat on the verge of establishment, says chief justice

Bangladesh's judiciary is "on the brink" of establishing a Supreme Court Secretariat, Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed has said.

At the ‘Judicial Independence and Efficiency in Bangladesh’ seminar at the Grand Palace Hotel in Rangpur on Saturday, he explained that a separate secretariat would help ensure the judiciary’s institutional independence and autonomy.

“The proposed Supreme Court Secretariat will ensure policy-making and implementation, adequate budget allocation, infrastructure development, and transparency in judges’ transfers and promotions,” he added.

Judicial reform, the chief justice said, is not only the key to sustaining reforms across different sectors but has now become the symbol of “reform” itself.

He added that the judiciary is the only organ of the state that has been actively striving for its own internal reform for many decades.

“At the heart of this demand is the power and authority to determine and implement its own reform agenda,” said Refaat. “Over the past eight months, this effort has gained unprecedented momentum.

“Our goal now is to achieve that purpose and ensure it endures in the future.”

He said the judiciary, as an institution, has never come this close to achieving full separation of powers.

“If this opportunity is lost in any way, it will be severely detrimental to the dignity, integrity, and relevance of the judiciary,” the chief justice warned.

He called on judicial officers across all levels of the country to take responsibility from their respective positions in making the reforms meaningful and effective.

Refaat said, “The phased implementation of the judicial reform roadmap I have announced is already enabling the judiciary to play a crucial role in building a new Bangladesh post-July 2024.

“District judiciaries are carrying out their own reform initiatives through regional seminars or ‘reform roadshows’ in Dhaka and other divisional cities, which is having a positive impact on the quality of justice delivery.”

The chief justice also urged judicial officers to find ways to make the reform efforts “sustainable” while reiterating his commitment to building a modern justice system to ensure justice in Bangladesh.